I'm looking forward to seeing Cossar/Whetstone have a real crack in this meeting. Last time I saw them race was at Mildura and they were the first to christen the air fence. Good to see Daniel Puddy back as well.

They may not be able to play cricket, but it might be a different matter when it comes to Speedway Sidecar racing. On January 11, Gillman plays host to not only the CBS Bins 2014 Australian Solo Championship Grand Final, but also the Sailum Tyres Aussie's V Poms Speedway Sidecar Test. The visiting UK riders Mark Cossar and Mick Cave will battle it out for a bonus purse at the end of the night against Gillman stars Mark Mitchell and Jason Hardy.
With the increased prize pool and a fairly even pairing, the heat racing will be pretty intense and with no "under arm" bowling and no "googlies" the run rate should be quite entertaining. Come along and support your teams and the bonus is Australia's best Solo riders including 2012 WORLD Champion, Chris Holder and Gillman favourite Troy Batchelor.

Motorcycling Australia have announced the riders selected to compete in the CBS Bins Australian Under 21 Solo Championship, and the Sailun Tyres Australian Under 16 250cc Solo Championship, both to be held at the Gillman Speedway Stadium on Saturday night, 25 January.

Saturday night’s Paintmaster SA Gillman Sidecar Championship is the first of two big Sidecar meetings in the space of a week, with the Speedway Racing News South Australian Sidecar Championship following six days later, and it will be interesting to see, with such a strong line-up, if any rider can win both events.

There are a number of riders who can win on Saturday night, but only three stand out as realistic chances of being able to take the double — Mark Mitchell/Tom Golding, Mick Headland/Paul Waters and Mark Plaisted/Brian Anthony.

Interestingly only one of these riders – Mark Plaisted – has won the Gillman championship before. And Plaisted is now in career-best form as he finished last season by winning the Grand Slam series, and started this season by winning the Oceania championship in Mildura last month.

Mitchell, however, is a former Australian and South Australian champion, and he also appears to be riding as good as ever in recent weeks. While it certainly wouldn’t surprise to see him win on Saturday night, for some strange reason the Gillman championship is one event he has never done well in, and he has never been placed in the first three. Unbelievable really, and surely he’ll be on the podium Saturday night after the speed and form he’s shown so far this season.

As for the third of the major stars, it goes without saying everyone will have Mick Headland in their top three. Again, however, despite being a twice World champion, he also doesn’t have a great record in the track championship and has only twice finished on the podium.

That just shows the strength of Sidecar racing at Gillman when two such acclaimed stars as Mitchell and Headland have only managed two podium places in the history of the event.

On the flip-side there are riders who traditionally do well in this event and the Prince of Port Adelaide, Ron Parker, has been one of the best with a first, second and third to his credit. Unfortunately the Prince had a massive off at the last meeting, and while he escaped injury the bike was badly damaged and he could be on a back-up bike which will harm his chances.

The riders who look the most likely to challenge the big three are Victorian Warren Monson (passenger Matt Morgan) and Englishmen Mark Cossar/Darryl Whetstone. If either, or both, get into the final they are more than capable of taking the first prize trophy.

It would be a surprise if one of the riders above did not win the final, but they said something similar last year and local rider Jason Hardy (passenger Geoff Langdon) came out and scored 14 points in the heats and then led all the way in the final. Can they do it again? Logic says no but they can’t be discounted.

The best of the rest appear to be Rob Patterson/Brenton Kerr, Damien Niesche/Mitchell Spear, and Aaron Hartwig/Teagan Hartwig. All will fancy their chances of a semi-final berth but if they go any further than that it will be a terrific achievement.

The large number of nominations means the night will start with some qualification races, and the non-qualifiers will still get a full night’s racing with half-a-dozen reserves’ races programmed.

Although the meeting is almost an all-sidecar night, there will be a small number of Solo events, which should produce some thrilling rides, particularly between the two teenagers Robert Medson and Jack Fallon, who both figured in some of the most exciting races of the night in the recent South Australian championship.

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Admission: Admission: Adults $25, Pension and Student Concession $20 (*), Children Under 16 $5 (aged between 12-15 inclusive), Children Under 12 free. Family $55. Parking free. Programme $5. (*) Concession is limited to holders of the Centrelink Pensioner Concession Card and Student Concession card holders only. Family includes up to 2 Adults and 4 Children

Weather Forecast: Maximum 30, minimum 19. Sunny.

Souvenirs: There is a well-stocked souvenir shop including the latest Blackchrome manufactured shirts and jackets. Eftpos available only in the souvenir shop.

Food and drink: Full bar and catering available. Food includes hot chips, pies, pasties, sausage rolls, Chico Rolls, dim sims, hot dogs, sandwiches, doughnuts, coffee, cold drinks, sweets. Please note a condition of our liquor licence is no byo alcohol or glass can be brought into the venue. Also note no pets, other than guide dogs, are allowed into the venue.

Seating: There are large grassed viewing mounds and the western end is fully terraced, but there is no grandstand seating, so bring deck chairs or blankets if you do not want to sit on the grass.

VIP Area: The V.I.P. area is available to anyone who would like to treat their business colleagues, family or friends to the best view of motorcycle speedway action in Australia. Any number from one up to fifty spectators can enjoy the elevated view overlooking the track, either from inside the temperature controlled room, on the timber decks, or the enclosed lawn area, for a very reasonable price per person. A fully stocked bar and a variety of food to suit all budgets is available and you can book the whole room or part thereof. Ring Gillman Speedway Manager David Parker on 0403 364 658 or e-mail dave@gillmanspeedway.com for more details.

Directions:

The best way to get to Gillman Speedway is off Hanson Road. If you are coming from the eastern and southern suburbs, get on to Hanson road off Torrens Road or Grand Junction Road, travel north on Hanson road over the train line then take the first road on the left, which is Wilkins road.

From the northern suburbs, travel down the new Port Adelaide expressway and take the Hanson Road exit. Once on Hanson Road, take the first exit on your right, this is Wilkins road.

From the western suburbs, Wilkins Road is the continuation of Bedford Street, north of Eastern Parade.

For interstate visitors flying into Adelaide and getting a hire car, Gillman is about 30 minutes’ drive from the airport. The easiest and most direct way, if not going to your accommodation first is: On leaving the airport, turn left onto Sir Donald Bradman Drive. Continue along Sir Donald Bradman Drive until you reach the end of the airports grounds and turn right onto Tapleys Hill Road. Just keep going on Tapleys Hill Road until you can’t go any further. That’s Port Road. Turn left onto Port Road. You can only turn left, you can’t go straight ahead or turn right, so pretty easy to this point. Continue down Port Road for about 1 km to the first intersection which is Grand Junction road and turn right. You only go 700 metres along Grand Junction Road over a bridge over a railway line. Stay in the left lane because at the bottom of the bridge you turn left into Gray Terrace. Go to the end of Gray Terrace and turn right (you can’t go straight ahead) onto Bedford Street. Just keep going on that Road until you get to the speedway. About 2 kms. The whole trip is about 20kms, and half-an-hour depending on traffic lights. Once you are on Tapleys Hill Road you can’t really go wrong. You only have to make three or four turns and most of those are simple.

Accommodation:

There is plenty of accommodation in Adelaide and suburbs, within 20-30 minutes of the Speedway, ranging from five star hotels to caravan parks and backpacker hostels. The Pavlos Motel on Main North Road, Pooraka offers a discount to speedway fans but you must ring the motel direct and ask for the Gillman Speedway discount. Full details are on the Gillman website under the information/accommodation tab.

Keen Speedway fans have the chance to see the next two generations of Australian speedway stars on the one programme when the Australian Championships continue this Saturday night (25 January) at the Gillman Speedway Stadium.
The feature event on Saturday night will be the CBS Bins Australian Under 21 Solo Championship, which also doubles as the World Under 21 Championship Australian Qualifying Round.
The first two placegetters will be offered the chance to compete in the European rounds will be held in Neustadt Donau, Germany; Terenzano, Italy; and Leicester, England in late April/early May. Australia only has two places available this year, however Motorcycling Australia are lobbying the FIM for a third place.
The Under 21 Championship is often the most exciting meeting of the Australian speedway fixture list because most of the riders are of a similar standard to those in the open Australian Championship, but the racing can be even more exciting because the variation in skill between the riders at the top of the scorecard and the bottom is much closer.
This year’s line-up includes five of the riders from the Australian Championship – Mason Campton, who finished third in the last round here at Gillman, Max Fricke, the current Under 21 champion, Jack Holder, the NSW Under 21 champion, Tyson Nelson and Robert Medson – but also has several riders who would have done well in the Australian Championship but chose to concentrate on the Under 21 title with the long term aim of reaching the World Under 21 Championship. They include British League riders Nick Morris, Cameron Heeps and Ryan Douglas, and exciting young prospect Brady Kurtz, who rode in the Danish League last year.
17-year-old Kurtz won the New South Wales Championship last month ahead of many riders who rode here a fortnight ago in the open Australian Championship, including new Australian #2 and #3 Jason Doyle and Rohan Tungate, Mason Campton, Jack Holder and Sam Masters. Holder finished second to Kurtz, and another of Saturday night’s riders, Hunter Anderson, finished sixth in the same meeting.
Further proof of the standard of tonight’s meeting is the fact that Matthew Day, who was on the pace a fortnight ago when he replaced the injured Troy Batchelor in the Australian Championship, has only been selected as a reserve for the meeting (although he and fellow reserve have both been selected to ride in the Jack Young Cup on Sunday night).
The support event on Saturday night will be the Sailun Tyres Australian Under 16 250cc Solo Championship with riders from Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland.
These are 13 to 15 year-old lads riding full-sized bikes with 250cc engines rather than 500cc and their race times are usually only a couple of seconds different to the Under 21 riders over the four lap race distance.
The under 16 lads are also competing to race overseas with four places available in the FIM Speedway Youth 250cc World Cup in Badia Calavena, Italy in August.

Everything you need to know:
Meeting Date: Saturday night, 25 January 2014.
Venue: Gillman Speedway Stadium, 65 Wilkins Road, Gillman – near the Port Adelaide area.
Gates open: at 2 pm.
Practice: 5 pm to 6 pm.
Racing starts: at 7.30 pm.
Riders:
CBS Bins Australian Under 21 Solo Championship/World Championship Qualifying Round
Riders (alphabetical order): Jake Allen (Qld), Hunter Anderson (NSW), Mason Campton (NSW), Ryan Douglas (Qld), Jack Fallon (Vic), Max Fricke (Vic), Cameron Heeps (WA), Jack Holder (NSW), Tyler King (NSW), Brady Kurtz (NSW), Robert Medson (SA), Nick Morris (Qld), Tyson Nelson (NSW), Blake Russell (WA), Douglas Scoble (WA), Tyson Snow (Qld). Reserves: Matthew Day (Qld), Jye Etheridge (NSW).
Format: 16 riders x 20 heats plus a last chance semi-final and a final. The 4th to 7th highest scorers go into the semi-final; and the winner of the semi-final and the highest three scorers from the 20 heats go into the final.
Australian Under 21 Solo Championship Sponsor : CBS Bins
CBS Bins is a family owned and operated businesses which commenced in 1975 when Graham and Marion Baker started in business with the purchase of a model 610 Bobcat. As the years progressed they were joined by their sons Steven, Mark and Darren, and today CBS Bins has grown into one of South Australia’s leading waste and rubbish removal companies. Sadly Graham passed away in January 2013, but his family continue to support Gillman Speedway and Graham’s past support has been remembered by the western end terraced area being named The Graham Baker Terrace. Website [www.cbsbins.com.au
]
Sailun Tyres Australian Under 16 250cc Solo Championship/World Cup Qualifying Round
Riders (alphabetical order): Declyn Adams (Vic), Dakota Ballantyne (SA), Brandan Coglan (Qld), Zach Cook (NSW), Max Croker (NSW), Brody Eves (Qld), Sheldon Gill (WA), Matthew Gilmore (NSW), Mitchell Grech (SA), Jimmy Jones (NSW), Declan Knowles (WA), Matthew Marson (WA), Jett Muller (WA), Cooper Riordan (Vic), Jack Smith (WA), Jordan Stewart (Vic). Reserves: Aden Clare (NSW), Daniel Clemens (WA).
Format: 16 riders x 20 heats plus a last chance semi-final and a final. The 4th to 7th highest scorers go into the semi-final; and the winner of the semi-final and the highest three scorers from the 20 heats go into the final.
Australian Under 16 250cc Solo Championship Sponsor : Sailun Tyres
Sailun Tyres are a high quality tyre from one of the most technically advanced tyre manufacturers in China. In 2002 several well-known corporations and experts in the tyre industry invested and established Sailun with technological support from the rubber industry and Qingdao University of Science and Technology. Sailun is the first tyre manufacturer to integrate production, research and demonstration techniques, while developing new products, and many experts in the tyre industry have come to Sailun to improve their tyre design theory, technique and test methods.
Admission prices:
Adults $25, Pension and Student Concession $20 (*), Children aged 12-15 $5, Under 12 FREE, Family Tickets $55. Car Parking free. Souvenir programme $5.
(*) Concession is limited to holders of the Centrelink Pensioner Concession Card and Student Concession card holders only. Family includes up to 2 Adults and 4 Children.
Parking and entrance:
Patrons can enter via two gates, the main entrance which is at the western end, and the competitors’ gate which is at the eastern end near the pits. The back gate will only be open until 8pm. There are parking areas near both gates.
Weather Forecast: Maximum 25, minimum 16. Mostly sunny.
Souvenirs: There is a well-stocked souvenir shop including the latest Blackchrome manufactured shirts and jackets. Eftpos available only in the souvenir shop.
Food and drink: Full bar and catering available. Food includes hot chips, pies, pasties, sausage rolls, Chico Rolls, dim sims, hot dogs, sandwiches, doughnuts, coffee, cold drinks, sweets. Please note a condition of our liquor licence is no byo alcohol or glass can be brought into the venue (Security will check at the gate). Also note no pets, other than guide dogs, are allowed into the venue.
Seating: There are large grassed viewing mounds and the western end is fully terraced, but there is no grandstand seating, so bring deck chairs or blankets if you do not want to sit on the grass.
VIP Area: The V.I.P. area is available to anyone who would like to treat their business colleagues, family or friends to the best view of motorcycle speedway action in Australia. Any number from one up to fifty spectators can enjoy the elevated view overlooking the track, either from inside the temperature controlled room, on the timber decks, or the enclosed lawn area, for a very reasonable price per person. A fully stocked bar and a variety of food to suit all budgets is available and you can book the whole room or part thereof. Ring Gillman Speedway Manager David Parker on 0403 364 658 or e-mail dave@gillmanspeedway.com for more details.
Directions:
The best way to get to Gillman Speedway is off Hanson Road. If you are coming from the eastern and southern suburbs, get on to Hanson road off Torrens Road or Grand Junction Road, travel north on Hanson road over the train line then take the first road on the left, which is Wilkins road.
From the northern suburbs, travel down the new Port Adelaide expressway and take the Hanson Road exit. Once on Hanson Road, take the first exit on your right, this is Wilkins road.
From the western suburbs, Wilkins Road is the continuation of Bedford Street, north of Eastern Parade.
For interstate visitors flying into Adelaide and getting a hire car, Gillman is about 30 minutes’ drive from the airport. The easiest and most direct way, if not going to your accommodation first is: On leaving the airport, turn left onto Sir Donald Bradman Drive. Continue along Sir Donald Bradman Drive until you reach the end of the airports grounds and turn right onto Tapleys Hill Road. Just keep going on Tapleys Hill Road until you can’t go any further. That’s Port Road. Turn left onto Port Road. You can only turn left, you can’t go straight ahead or turn right, so pretty easy to this point. Continue down Port Road for about 1 km to the first intersection which is Grand Junction road and turn right. You only go 700 metres along Grand Junction Road over a bridge over a railway line. Stay in the left lane because at the bottom of the bridge you turn left into Gray Terrace. Go to the end of Gray Terrace and turn right (you can’t go straight ahead) onto Bedford Street. Just keep going on that Road until you get to the speedway. About 2 kms. The whole trip is about 20kms, and half-an-hour depending on traffic lights. Once you are on Tapleys Hill Road you can’t really go wrong. You only have to make three or four turns and most of those are simple.
Accommodation:
There is plenty of accommodation in Adelaide and suburbs, within 20-30 minutes of the Speedway, ranging from five star hotels to caravan parks and backpacker hostels. The Pavlos Motel on Main North Road, Pooraka offers a discount to speedway fans but you must ring the motel direct and ask for the Gillman Speedway discount. Full details are on the Gillman website under the information/accommodation tab.
Contact for this meeting: Speedway Manager, David Parker 0403 364 658

Speedway fans get the chance to see two meetings at Adelaide’s Gillman Speedway this weekend.

Following the CBS Bins Australian Under 21 Solo Championship meeting tomorrow (Saturday) night (see story Championships Continue at Gillman Speedway Saturday night), the annual Jack Young Cup will held on Sunday night, 26 January.

The meeting commemorates the memory of South Australia’s greatest rider, the late Jack Young (pictured above), the first rider from any country to win the World Speedway Championship twice (1951, 52), the only Australian to have successfully defended the championship, and the only South Australian winner.

This will be the last major Solo meeting of the season and appears to be a wide open event with no clear cut favourite.

With a number of riders new to Gillman there could be a surprise winner, perhaps someone like Queensland’s Jake Allen for example.

Allen would not be known to most people in Adelaide but he is a good rider in his home state as he showed last weekend when he won a meeting in Maryborough against several British League riders, including Rohan Tungate who won the Australian Championship round here a fortnight ago.

WA’s Cameron Heeps will also be a major contender. He had a very good year with Ipswich in the British League in 2013 and although he hasn’t been racing in Australia this summer he could well be WA’s first ever winner.

The local contingent will also be amongst the favourites, particularly Shane Parker and Robert Branford who have both been in good form in the major events at Gillman this season.

Another rider who many will fancy will be Victoria’s Max Fricke. The 17-year-old makes the long 860km trip from the alpine country town of Mansfield on a regular basis and is always a chance of a place on the podium.

The winner could well come from one of the other riders, however, and most would be disappointed if they don’t make it to the semi-final stage, but sixteen won’t go into seven, so there will be some good riders who miss out.

One thing we do know is that there will be a new winner tonight as there are no previous winners in the line-up. Last year’s winner Tyron Proctor was aiming to be here for this event after sitting out the last seven months because of a neck injury but unfortunately he hasn’t yet received the all clear to resume riding. The meeting probably came just a couple of weeks too soon for him. We wish him well in his return to racing however, and hope to see him back here next season.

Format: 16 riders x 20 heats plus a last chance semi-final and a final. The 4th to 7th highest scorers go into the semi-final; and the winner of the semi-final and the highest three scorers from the 20 heats go into the final.

Sailun Tyres are a high quality tyre from one of the most technically advanced tyre manufacturers in China. In 2002 several well-known corporations and experts in the tyre industry invested and established Sailun with technological support from the rubber industry and Qingdao University of Science and Technology. Sailun is the first tyre manufacturer to integrate production, research and demonstration techniques, while developing new products, and many experts in the tyre industry have come to Sailun to improve their tyre design theory, technique and test methods.

(*) Concession is limited to holders of the Centrelink Pensioner Concession Card and Student Concession card holders only. Family includes up to 2 Adults and 4 Children.

Parking and entrance:

Patrons can enter via two gates, the main entrance which is at the western end, and the competitors’ gate which is at the eastern end near the pits. The back gate will only be open until 8pm. There are parking areas near both gates.

Weather Forecast: Maximum 34, minimum 14. Sunny.

Souvenirs: There is a well-stocked souvenir shop including the latest Blackchrome manufactured shirts and jackets. Eftpos available only in the souvenir shop.

Food and drink: Full bar and catering available. Food includes hot chips, pies, pasties, sausage rolls, Chico Rolls, dim sims, hot dogs, sandwiches, doughnuts, coffee, cold drinks, sweets. Please note a condition of our liquor licence is no byo alcohol or glass can be brought into the venue (Security will check at the gate). Also note no pets, other than guide dogs, are allowed into the venue.

Seating: There are large grassed viewing mounds and the western end is fully terraced, but there is no grandstand seating, so bring deck chairs or blankets if you do not want to sit on the grass.

VIP Area: The V.I.P. area is available to anyone who would like to treat their business colleagues, family or friends to the best view of motorcycle speedway action in Australia. Any number from one up to fifty spectators can enjoy the elevated view overlooking the track, either from inside the temperature controlled room, on the timber decks, or the enclosed lawn area, for a very reasonable price per person. A fully stocked bar and a variety of food to suit all budgets is available and you can book the whole room or part thereof. Ring Gillman Speedway Manager David Parker on 0403 364 658 or e-mail dave@gillmanspeedway.com for more details.

Directions:

The best way to get to Gillman Speedway is off Hanson Road. If you are coming from the eastern and southern suburbs, get on to Hanson road off Torrens Road or Grand Junction Road, travel north on Hanson road over the train line then take the first road on the left, which is Wilkins road.

From the northern suburbs, travel down the new Port Adelaide expressway and take the Hanson Road exit. Once on Hanson Road, take the first exit on your right, this is Wilkins road.

From the western suburbs, Wilkins Road is the continuation of Bedford Street, north of Eastern Parade.

For interstate visitors flying into Adelaide and getting a hire car, Gillman is about 30 minutes’ drive from the airport. The easiest and most direct way, if not going to your accommodation first is: On leaving the airport, turn left onto Sir Donald Bradman Drive. Continue along Sir Donald Bradman Drive until you reach the end of the airports grounds and turn right onto Tapleys Hill Road. Just keep going on Tapleys Hill Road until you can’t go any further. That’s Port Road. Turn left onto Port Road. You can only turn left, you can’t go straight ahead or turn right, so pretty easy to this point. Continue down Port Road for about 1 km to the first intersection which is Grand Junction road and turn right. You only go 700 metres along Grand Junction Road over a bridge over a railway line. Stay in the left lane because at the bottom of the bridge you turn left into Gray Terrace. Go to the end of Gray Terrace and turn right (you can’t go straight ahead) onto Bedford Street. Just keep going on that Road until you get to the speedway. About 2 kms. The whole trip is about 20kms, and half-an-hour depending on traffic lights. Once you are on Tapleys Hill Road you can’t really go wrong. You only have to make three or four turns and most of those are simple.

Accommodation:

There is plenty of accommodation in Adelaide and suburbs, within 20-30 minutes of the Speedway, ranging from five star hotels to caravan parks and backpacker hostels. The Pavlos Motel on Main North Road, Pooraka offers a discount to speedway fans but you must ring the motel direct and ask for the Gillman Speedway discount. Full details are on the Gillman website under the information/accommodation tab.

British under 21 champion Robert Branford capped what has been an impressive season at his Australian home track of Gillman with victory in the Jack Young Cup last night.

Branford was involved in a terrific race with the Australian under 21 champion Max Fricke, and exciting Mildura youngster Jack Fallon in the final before they finished wheel-to-wheel in that order.

The final was a rerun after the first attempt continued what seems to have become a trend with major event finals in Australia this season with the race stopped because of a crash. On this occasion it by local favourite Shane Parker who had the race in the bag when he crashed into the fence at the end of lap three. Very few people saw the crash as they were watching the other three as exciting first year rider Fallon was attempting an outside pass on the two national under 21 champions Fricke and Branford through turns three and four at the time, but Parker later said he had hit a rut which caused him to clip the fence.

In the earlier qualifying heats Parker was the star rider with four wins and a safe second to Branford in his last ride. Max Fricke was next best with 13, beaten by Parker and Branford, while Branford was the other direct qualifier with 11 points from his last four rides after his bike broke down while a clear leader in his first ride.

Branford’s only loss on the night was to Nigel Sadler who was making his first appearance in several seasons and who did well to qualify for the semi-final with 10 points along with Jack Fallon (11), Robert Medson (10) and Matt Day (10). They finished well clear of the next best riders who were Hunter Anderson with 8 and Arlo Bugeja and Tyson Snow on 7.

Fallon led all the way in the semi-final to win from Medson, Sadler and Day.

In the support races Mark Mitchell/Tom Golding won the Sidecar final ahead of Arron Hartwig/Teagan Hartwig and Ron Parker/Derick Thomas with Daniel Puddy/Luke Puddy excluded for going infield.

A thoroughly enjoyable weekend at Gillman. Plenty of excitement on the track, comfortable viewing, good announcing, pleasant atmosphere, impressive pit area, nice weather, sociable occasion - I just wish more people would realise what a thriller the Australian U-21 Solo Championship ALWAYS is and give it more support.

Been saying for years Gav, it needs a name change. Under 21 is in peoples minds as "kids" racing. We have never ever got a crowd to this event, even with TV advertising. We need to come up with a new name.

Some of the 24 sidecars from SA, UK, Vic and NSW already entered for the Downer Sidecar Masters on Saturday February 8 at Gillman Speedway. Entries close with Mark Mitchell this Sunday night.
Darrin Treloar NSW
Mark Plaisted SA
Mark Cossar UK
Mick Cave UK...
Matt Tyrrell UK
Warren Monson Vic
Mark Mitchell SA
Hartwig, Parker, Hardy etc.......24 riders in all so far with top names still to follow. Press Release on field early next week, should be a belter.................

Tonight sees the first of several major Sidecar events scheduled for the closing weeks of Adelaide’s Gillman Speedway season, with the staging of the Downer Sidecar Masters.
Downer is a leading engineering and infrastructure services company which was responsible for the biggest improvement at the Gillman stadium during the 2013 winter when it bituminised the pit surface, and the company will be treating many of their employees and some principals of companies they are associated with to the best view of the racing from the VIP area.
Leading the stellar field for the Masters will be the proven Master, Darrin Treloar. Treloar did not compete in the Masters last year because of a clash with the New South Wales Championship, but prior to that he had won five times in six attempts. He won in 2007, 08, 09 and 11 with Justin Plaisted in the chair, and in 2012 with 16-year-old Sam Gilbert on the side. This year he has 23-year-old Blake Cox as passenger.
Treloar’s main opposition is likely to come from defending Masters champion Mick Headland. Both are former track racing World champions and it is very rare for either not to make the final at any Gillman meeting. Adding extra intrigue to the meeting is the fact this will be Headland’s first meeting at Gillman since splitting with long-time passenger Paul Waters. Headland will have his son Jesse as his passenger for the rest of the season, while Waters will replace Jesse as passenger for Headland’s other son Trent.
Other riders considered to be major contenders are Mark Cossar / Darryl Whetstone, Mark Plaisted/Brian Anthony and Mark Mitchell/Tom Golding.
The British duo Mark Cossar/Darryl Whetstone are probably the most improved riders around Australia this season and they are now a serious chance of victory in every meeting they compete in.
Plaisted has been the form rider over the last 12 months but this will be his first meeting at Gillman since a massive crash in the South Australian championship in which he suffered some internal injuries and his bike was wrecked.
However these rider will all have to overcome the challenge from other riders such as Trent Headland, Warren Monson/Matt Morgan, Ron Parker/Derick Thomas, Arron Hartwig/Teagan Hartwig and Damien Niesche/Mitchell Spear, while the other riders, including two other Englishmen Matt Tyrrell and Mick Cave, are all capable of being “spoilers” and taking vital points from the more fancied riders.
The support events will include a special appearance of Polish Solo rider Adam Skórnicki. Skórnicki rides in the Polish, Swedish and British Leagues and was the 2008 Polish Champion ahead of Poland’s best riders including Grand Prix stars Jarosław Hampel and Tomasz Gollob, so he will be another big challenge for local rider Robert Branford who last meeting won the Jack Young Cup.

Format: 16 riders x 20 heats plus a last chance semi-final and a final. The 4th to 7th highest scorers go into the semi-final; and the winner of the semi-final and the highest three scorers from the 20 heats go into the final.

About the sponsor, Downer:
Downer is a leading engineering and infrastructure services company with a long and strong South Australian footprint, and the company was responsible for bituminising the pit area at Gillman Speedway. Downer manufactured the hot mixed asphalt from its new facility at Wingfield. This new state of the art plant has the capacity to manufacture environmentally friendly products that are at the forefront of sustainable solutions for the road infrastructure sector, using high quality recycled material and Warm Mixed Asphalt technology, which has consolidated the company’s position as a responsible supporter of the local communities in which it works.

Parking and entrance:
Patrons can enter via two gates, the main entrance which is at the western end, and the competitors’ gate which is at the eastern end near the pits. The back gate will only be open until 8pm. There are parking areas near both gates.

Weather Forecast: Maximum 40, minimum 22. Partly cloudy.

Souvenirs: There is a well-stocked souvenir shop including the latest Blackchrome manufactured shirts and jackets. Eftpos available only in the souvenir shop.

Food and drink: Full bar and catering available. Food includes hot chips, pies, pasties, sausage rolls, Chico Rolls, dim sims, hot dogs, sandwiches, doughnuts, coffee, cold drinks, sweets. Please note a condition of our liquor licence is no byo alcohol or glass can be brought into the venue (security will check at the gate). Also note no pets, other than guide dogs, are allowed into the venue.

Seating: There are large grassed viewing mounds and the western end is fully terraced, but there is no grandstand seating, so bring deck chairs or blankets if you do not want to sit on the grass.

VIP Area: The V.I.P. area is available to anyone who would like to treat their business colleagues, family or friends to the best view of motorcycle speedway action in Australia. Any number from one up to fifty spectators can enjoy the elevated view overlooking the track, either from inside the temperature controlled room, on the timber decks, or the enclosed lawn area, for a very reasonable price per person. A fully stocked bar and a variety of food to suit all budgets is available and you can book the whole room or part thereof. Ring Gillman Speedway Manager David Parker on 0403 364 658 or e-mail dave@gillmanspeedway.com for more details.

Directions:
The best way to get to Gillman Speedway is off Hanson Road. If you are coming from the eastern and southern suburbs, get on to Hanson road off Torrens Road or Grand Junction Road, travel north on Hanson road over the train line then take the first road on the left, which is Wilkins road.

From the northern suburbs, travel down the new Port Adelaide expressway and take the Hanson Road exit. Once on Hanson Road, take the first exit on your right, this is Wilkins road.

From the western suburbs, Wilkins Road is the continuation of Bedford Street, north of Eastern Parade.

For interstate visitors flying into Adelaide and getting a hire car, Gillman is about 30 minutes’ drive from the airport. The easiest and most direct way, if not going to your accommodation first is: On leaving the airport, turn left onto Sir Donald Bradman Drive. Continue along Sir Donald Bradman Drive until you reach the end of the airports grounds and turn right onto Tapleys Hill Road. Just keep going on Tapleys Hill Road until you can’t go any further. That’s Port Road. Turn left onto Port Road. You can only turn left, you can’t go straight ahead or turn right, so pretty easy to this point. Continue down Port Road for about 1 km to the first intersection which is Grand Junction road and turn right. You only go 700 metres along Grand Junction Road over a bridge over a railway line. Stay in the left lane because at the bottom of the bridge you turn left into Gray Terrace. Go to the end of Gray Terrace and turn right (you can’t go straight ahead) onto Bedford Street. Just keep going on that Road until you get to the speedway. About 2 kms. The whole trip is about 20kms, and half-an-hour depending on traffic lights. Once you are on Tapleys Hill Road you can’t really go wrong. You only have to make three or four turns and most of those are simple.

Accommodation:
There is plenty of accommodation in Adelaide and suburbs, within 20-30 minutes of the Speedway, ranging from five star hotels to caravan parks and backpacker hostels. The Pavlos Motel on Main North Road, Pooraka offers a discount to speedway fans but you must ring the motel direct and ask for the Gillman Speedway discount. Full details are on the Gillman website under the information/accommodation tab.

There was a delay of about an hour early in the meeting when Sidecar passenger Paul Waters landed awkwardly in a fall and received a badly broken leg. He needed a lot of medical attention on the track before he could be put into an ambulance and taken to hospital where he has already undergone an operation on the leg.

After rounds in New South Wales, Victoria and regional South Australia the Blackchrome Sidecar Grand Slam Series comes to Adelaide this weekend with round five of the seven round tournament at the Gillman Speedway Stadium on Saturday night.
Riders representing South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, England and New Zealand will take part in the traditional 20 heat format followed by the last chance semi-final and the final.
The current Series leader is South Australian Mick Headland but he is just two points ahead of New South Wales’ Darrin Treloar.
While the overall Series victory looks likely to go to one of these two former World Track Racing Champions, England’s Mark Cossar, the reigning British Champion, and defending Grand Slam champion Mark Plaisted are hovering in third and fourth place ready to pounce should Headland of Treloar falter.
And Plaisted knows how easily one slip-up can affect your chances. After finishing third and second in the first two rounds, and therefore a serious chance of defending his title, Plaisted and passenger Brian Anthony were involved in a bad crash whilst contesting the South Australian Championship which forced them to miss the third round of the Grand Slam, so they need a win at Gillman.
“This round at Gillman is really important for us” Plaisted explained, “you cannot afford to miss a round given the quality of the riders taking part, and with three rounds remaining we need a win this weekend to give us any chance of taking the Series. Mick and Darrin are involved in an epic battle on top of the points table and Mark Cossar has been absolutely flying too, so just qualifying for the Final this Saturday night will be a major assignment but it’s our home track and I’m confident of a really good showing.”
This Saturday’s Gillman round of the Blackchrome Sidecar Grand Slam Series will be televised on a delayed basis on the Speed Channel (Foxtel and Austar). A one hour highlights show will appear on the long running Chequered Flag show.
Everything you need to know:
Meeting Date: Saturday night, 22 February 2014.
Venue: Gillman Speedway Stadium, 65 Wilkins Road, Gillman – near the Port Adelaide area.
Gates open: at 5 pm.
Racing starts: at 7.30 pm.
Riders/Passengers:
Blackchrome Sidecar Grand Slam:
Andrew Buchannan (NZ) / Brady Cox, Mick Cave / Ben Goddard (Eng), Mark Cossar / Darryl Whetstone (Eng), Brenten Dwyer / Jack Spear, Byren Gates / Michael O’Loughlin, Jason Hardy / Darcy Risstrom, Arron Hartwig / Teagan Hartwig, Mick Headland / Jesse Headland, Damien Niesche / Mitchell Spear, Ron Parker / Derick Thomas, Rob Patterson / Brenton Kerr, Mark Plaisted / Brian Anthony, Shane Rudloff / Damian Egan, Stephen Saunders / Don Morris, Darrin Treloar / Blake Cox, Matt Tyrrell (Eng) / Craig Fordham
Format: 16 riders x 20 heats plus a last chance semi-final and a final. The 4th to 7th highest scorers go into the semi-final; and the winner of the semi-final and the highest three scorers from the 20 heats go into the final.
Support Races:
Sidecar support Group 2: Tim Bichard / Dale Knights, Shane Evans / Kane Turner, Dale Milner / Nick O’Brien, Daniel Puddy / Luke Puddy, Aaron Silvy / Jack Turner
Sidecar support Group 3: Keith Bichard / Brett Lewis, Rick Fechner / Justin Richards, Mal Greig / Scott Banyer, Dean Hobbs / Andy Westover, Kym Menadue / Anthony Schulz, Brian Silvy / Josh Knott
125cc Junior Solos: William Coombes, Mitchell Grech, Liam May, Brayden McGuiness, Nicholas Possingham, Blake Ridley
250cc Junior Sidecars: Tom Adams / tba, Jackson Barbary / Josh Malik, Mitchell Grech / Katelyn Silvy, Jayden Hardy / Belinda Silvy, Jack Sylvia / Harry Hearne
About the sponsor, Blackchrome:
Blackchrome Sportswear & Workwear manufactures the best quality customised apparel for sports, promotional and corporate activities, and it has contributed greatly to lifting the standard of team presentation and professionalism in sport in recent seasons. Dozens of different Blackchrome shirts are seen at Gillman every meeting, but this weekend they will also have available an exclusive range of official series merchandise. The Blackchrome merchandise stand will also double as a rider autograph centre; providing fans with a rare opportunity of meeting their favourite riders prior to the start of the meeting, whilst at the same time having their purchases autographed if so desired.
For more information about Blackchrome visit www.blackchrome.com.au

Admission Prices:
Adults $25, Pension and Student Concession $20 (*), Children aged 12-15 $5, Children Under 12 free. Family ticket $55. Parking free. Programme $5. (*) Concession is limited to Centrelink Pensioner Concession Card and Student Concession card holders only. Family includes up to 2 Adults and 4 Children
Parking and entrance:
Patrons can enter via two gates, the main entrance which is at the western end, and the competitors’ gate which is at the eastern end near the pits. The back gate will only be open until 8pm. There are parking areas near both gates.
Weather Forecast: Maximum 28, minimum 14. Mostly sunny.
Souvenirs: There is a well-stocked souvenir shop including the latest Blackchrome manufactured shirts and jackets. Eftpos available only in the souvenir shop.
Food and drink: Full bar and catering available. Food includes hot chips, pies, pasties, sausage rolls, Chico Rolls, dim sims, hot dogs, sandwiches, doughnuts, coffee, cold drinks, sweets. Please note a condition of our liquor licence is no byo alcohol or glass can be brought into the venue (security will check at the gate). Also note no pets, other than guide dogs, are allowed into the venue.
Seating: There are large grassed viewing mounds and the western end is fully terraced, but there is no grandstand seating, so bring deck chairs or blankets if you do not want to sit on the grass.
VIP Area: The V.I.P. area is available to anyone who would like to treat their business colleagues, family or friends to the best view of motorcycle speedway action in Australia. Any number from one up to fifty spectators can enjoy the elevated view overlooking the track, either from inside the temperature controlled room, on the timber decks, or the enclosed lawn area, for a very reasonable price per person. A fully stocked bar and a variety of food to suit all budgets is available and you can book the whole room or part thereof. Ring Gillman Speedway Manager David Parker on 0403 364 658 or e-mail dave@gillmanspeedway.com for more details.
Directions:
The best way to get to Gillman Speedway is off Hanson Road. If you are coming from the eastern and southern suburbs, get on to Hanson road off Torrens Road or Grand Junction Road, travel north on Hanson road over the train line then take the first road on the left, which is Wilkins road.
From the northern suburbs, travel down the new Port Adelaide expressway and take the Hanson Road exit. Once on Hanson Road, take the first exit on your right, this is Wilkins road.
From the western suburbs, Wilkins Road is the continuation of Bedford Street, north of Eastern Parade.
For interstate visitors flying into Adelaide and getting a hire car, Gillman is about 30 minutes’ drive from the airport. The easiest and most direct way, if not going to your accommodation first is: On leaving the airport, turn left onto Sir Donald Bradman Drive. Continue along Sir Donald Bradman Drive until you reach the end of the airports grounds and turn right onto Tapleys Hill Road. Just keep going on Tapleys Hill Road until you can’t go any further. That’s Port Road. Turn left onto Port Road. You can only turn left, you can’t go straight ahead or turn right, so pretty easy to this point. Continue down Port Road for about 1 km to the first intersection which is Grand Junction road and turn right. You only go 700 metres along Grand Junction Road over a bridge over a railway line. Stay in the left lane because at the bottom of the bridge you turn left into Gray Terrace. Go to the end of Gray Terrace and turn right (you can’t go straight ahead) onto Bedford Street. Just keep going on that Road until you get to the speedway. About 2 kms. The whole trip is about 20kms, and half-an-hour depending on traffic lights. Once you are on Tapleys Hill Road you can’t really go wrong. You only have to make three or four turns and most of those are simple.
Accommodation:
There is plenty of accommodation in Adelaide and suburbs, within 20-30 minutes of the Speedway, ranging from five star hotels to caravan parks and backpacker hostels. The Pavlos Motel on Main North Road, Pooraka offers a discount to speedway fans but you must ring the motel direct and ask for the Gillman Speedway discount. Full details are on the Gillman website under the information/accommodation tab.
Contact for this meeting: Speedway Manager, David Parker 0403 364 658

Speedway fans have just two more chances to see any action at Adelaide’s Gillman Speedway this season, with a meeting this Saturday night (8 March), followed by the final meeting of this season a fortnight later (22 March).

This Saturday night with see the President’s Trophy for Solos and Sidecars, with Sidecars once again taking up the bulk of the programme with a full 20-heat format plus finals.

The Sidecar Trophy should be an intriguing affair. With two of the big-guns of South Australian speedway, Mick Headland and Mark Plaisted, sitting this one out to attend to injuries and bike repairs for the Grand Slam Grand Final, the likely qualifiers for the last chance semi-final, and the final, are impossible to predict.

As former Australian and South Australian Champions, Mark Mitchell/Tom Golding will start as slight favourites, but there are any number of riders after that who could make the top seven cut.

Major contenders will be Arron Hartwig, Ron Parker, Damien Niesche, Ron Parker, Jason Hardy, Rob Patterson, Daniel Puddy, Brenten Dwyer and Shane Rudloff, with Shane Evans and Tim Bichard also a chance of a semi-final berth if they are on form.

The Solo Trophy should be a three-way battle between Jack Young Cup winner Robert Branford, Robert Medson and Arlo Bugeja with Chris Ferguson, Seth Hickey and Garry Fischer vying for the other spot in the final.

Format: 16 riders x 20 heats plus a last chance semi-final and a final. The 4th to 7th highest scorers go into the semi-final; and the winner of the semi-final and the highest three scorers from the 20 heats go into the final.

Patrons can enter via two gates, the main entrance which is at the western end, and the competitors’ gate which is at the eastern end near the pits. The back gate will only be open until 8pm. There are parking areas near both gates.

Weather Forecast: Maximum 30, minimum 14. Sunny.

Souvenirs: There is a well-stocked souvenir shop including the latest Blackchrome manufactured shirts and jackets. Eftpos available only in the souvenir shop.

Food and drink: Full bar and catering available. Food includes hot chips, pies, pasties, sausage rolls, Chico Rolls, dim sims, hot dogs, sandwiches, doughnuts, coffee, cold drinks, sweets. Please note a condition of our liquor licence is no byo alcohol or glass can be brought into the venue (security will check at the gate). Also note no pets, other than guide dogs, are allowed into the venue.

Seating: There are large grassed viewing mounds and the western end is fully terraced, but there is no grandstand seating, so bring deck chairs or blankets if you do not want to sit on the grass.

VIP Area: The V.I.P. area is available to anyone who would like to treat their business colleagues, family or friends to the best view of motorcycle speedway action in Australia. Any number from one up to fifty spectators can enjoy the elevated view overlooking the track, either from inside the temperature controlled room, on the timber decks, or the enclosed lawn area, for a very reasonable price per person. A fully stocked bar and a variety of food to suit all budgets is available and you can book the whole room or part thereof. Ring Gillman Speedway Manager David Parker on 0403 364 658 or e-mail dave@gillmanspeedway.com for more details.

Directions:

The best way to get to Gillman Speedway is off Hanson Road. If you are coming from the eastern and southern suburbs, get on to Hanson road off Torrens Road or Grand Junction Road, travel north on Hanson road over the train line then take the first road on the left, which is Wilkins road.

From the northern suburbs, travel down the new Port Adelaide expressway and take the Hanson Road exit. Once on Hanson Road, take the first exit on your right, this is Wilkins road.

From the western suburbs, Wilkins Road is the continuation of Bedford Street, north of Eastern Parade.

For interstate visitors flying into Adelaide and getting a hire car, Gillman is about 30 minutes’ drive from the airport. The easiest and most direct way, if not going to your accommodation first is: On leaving the airport, turn left onto Sir Donald Bradman Drive. Continue along Sir Donald Bradman Drive until you reach the end of the airports grounds and turn right onto Tapleys Hill Road. Just keep going on Tapleys Hill Road until you can’t go any further. That’s Port Road. Turn left onto Port Road. You can only turn left, you can’t go straight ahead or turn right, so pretty easy to this point. Continue down Port Road for about 1 km to the first intersection which is Grand Junction road and turn right. You only go 700 metres along Grand Junction Road over a bridge over a railway line. Stay in the left lane because at the bottom of the bridge you turn left into Gray Terrace. Go to the end of Gray Terrace and turn right (you can’t go straight ahead) onto Bedford Street. Just keep going on that Road until you get to the speedway. About 2 kms. The whole trip is about 20kms, and half-an-hour depending on traffic lights. Once you are on Tapleys Hill Road you can’t really go wrong. You only have to make three or four turns and most of those are simple.

Accommodation:

There is plenty of accommodation in Adelaide and suburbs, within 20-30 minutes of the Speedway, ranging from five star hotels to caravan parks and backpacker hostels. The Pavlos Motel on Main North Road, Pooraka offers a discount to speedway fans but you must ring the motel direct and ask for the Gillman Speedway discount. Full details are on the Gillman website under the information/accommodation tab.